This Is Why You Cannot Order One Book From Me

"

category

author

turndog

This Is Why You Cannot Order One Book From Me

I don’t want you to buy a single copy of I Unlove You from me,” I said to my friend. “I’d like you to buy two of them,” I continued, as he smiled and raised his eyebrows.

“I’m sure you would, mate,” he replied, laughing and waiting for me to crack a smile.

“I’m serious,” I countered, steely-eyed and unmoved. “I’d like you to buy at least two books, and this is why…”

I went on to share my reasons with him, how I came about this idea, and why it’s possibly the most important decision I’ve made in a long time. And everything I said to him applies to you, too, for I don’t want you to buy a single copy of I Unlove You. In fact, you can’t. Take a look around this page and the rest of the website, you’ll soon see you can only buy two copiesor threeor five

And in today’s post I explain:

  • WHY you can’t buy a single copy of I Unlove You (and why this is arguably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made)
  • WHO this is for (and whether you’re the type of avid reader ready for this journey)

Right about now I imagine you consider me rather cheeky and greedy; an author who wishes to get your money and force you to buy more books than you need. On the surface I appreciate this is what it looks like, but soon you’ll realise this isn’t the case.

After all, I Unlove You is FREE … FORVER … you can download it from this site for free or from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. You can even buy a single paperback copy of the book from Amazon, so if you really-really-really wish to own a single copy you can.

But I don’t want you to, and it has little to do with making more money or shifting more copies. But to explain this and to help you understand, we must go back in time to when I still wrote I Unlove You’s first draft, and when I began to muse over the idea of making this novel FREE … FOREVER …

I Unlove You 3D

I won’t talk about why I made this book FREE … FORVER … because I do this in great detail within this article. Ultimately I believe ensuring this book remains free at all times crushes any barriers that exist between you and me – reader to writer. I wish to share this novel with as many people as possible, but beyond this I desire to form true connections with avid readers who want more from the books they read; the authors they follow.

I have no idea if this forever free concept will work, but I believe it’ll help introduce me to those I wish to meet (avid-reading folk like yourself). But as I fell in love with this idea, a certain nagging refused to go away:

HOW THE HELL WILL WE MAKE MONEY?!?!?

I don’t like to focus on money, but the fact remains it plays an important role in life. I have a beautiful little boy I must look after, and ambitions to live a particular type of lifestyle. PLUS… more important than money… I worked on this novel for two years! I spent 300+ hours on it. I poured my heart and my tears into it, so although I want as many people to experience it (price be damned), I don’t wish to devalue the process… my art… this story.

I knew I’d have to transform this book into an experience, and one that goes beyond the actual tale on offer. Again, I won’t go into the full ins-and-outs of this experience because I do so in this article, but I ultimately came to the conclusion that I could make money from this book in three ways:

  1. TIPS: at the end of the book, kind people like you share a few dollars – if they like and value the book, of course.
  2. PHYSICAL COPIES: paperbacks, hardcovers, limited edition versions, etc…
  3. MERCH / SWAG: t-shirts, artwork, coffee cups…

This Is Why You Cannot Order One Book From

It’s during this period I started to look within and think about paperbacks and hardcovers and what I actually think about them. After all, if I’m going to entice people like you to spend your hard earned money on a paperback version of a book you’ve already read for free, I need a damn good reason.

I came to the realisation I’d lost touch with the importance of an actual book. I love ebooks and Kindles, and continue to see great value in them. They’re fantastic, just like listening to music on my phone is. But it’s a somewhat throwaway experience, which goes against what we’re trying to achieve here.

I found myself both excited and sad by this. I felt sad because I’d begun to devalue the importance of holding an actual book… smelling the pages… passing it on to a friend after I’ve finished with it. But this also excited me because I could change this and regain control of my own experience with books. And best of all, I could ensure I Unlove You built meaningful relationships with those of you who care to read and delve deeper into the journey.

With a spring in my step, I knew the I Unlove You Paperback would become the cornerstone of this forever free concept. I knew it would become a defining crossroads for those who wish to be part of this experience, because those who do won’t want to settle for an ebook. It’s a throwaway experience, remember?

It acts as a fantastic introduction into the journey… to the book… to me… but just like listening to a song on your phone, it only goes so far.

And because the whole point of this experience is to involve you… empower you… give you ownership of the book so you feel like you’re more than a reader… I made the following decision:

  • Sign & personalise EVERY book that’s sold from this website
  • Make it IMPOSSIBLE to buy a single copy

Because if you have to buy two copiesor threeor five… it means you have to gift a book that you enjoy to someone you care about. When I talk about involvement and empowerment and ownership, this is what I mean. Because I cannot do this on my own. I need folk like you to help spread the love of I Unlove You. But I don’t want you to do it because you have some wayward loyalty towards me, and I don’t really care about a tweet or share.

I want you to want to. I desire you to have the ownership and motivation to talk about this book and this experience when you meet people for coffee, and most important of all, to gift them a signed version. Because what’s more powerful than the gift of literature? Telling someone about a book is one thing, and pointing them towards a page where they can read it for free is another, but literally giving them a bundle of pages they get to place on their nightstand… THIS is what it’s all about!

This is why you cannot buy a single copy of I Unlove You from this site. It’s not to make more money or shift more copies (although let’s face it, it does help achieve this). It’s about placing importance back into actual books, and creating a difference between the free ebook and the paid paperback. AND more important than any of this, it’s about empowering you to involve other people and send the gift of a book to someone you love.

I believe this is important, so let’s now look at the type of individual these bundles are for, and whether you’re the type of person who should buy one today.

THE BEST FRIEND BUNDLE

2 SIGNED BOOKS

<script src="https://gumroad.com/js/gumroad.js"></script> <a class="gumroad-button" href="https://gum.co/unlove-besties" target="_blank">GRAB THIS BUNDLE</a>

THE FAMILY BUNDLE

3 SIGNED BOOKS

<script src="https://gumroad.com/js/gumroad.js"></script> <a class="gumroad-button" href="https://gum.co/clqNX" target="_blank">GRAB THIS BUNDLE</a>

THE BOOK CLUB BUNDLE

5 SIGNED BOOKS

<script src="https://gumroad.com/js/gumroad.js"></script> <a class="gumroad-button" href="https://gum.co/unlove-book-club" target="_blank">GRAB THIS BUNDLE</a>

WHO SHOULD BUY THESE BEAUTIFUL BOOK BUNDLES

Assuming you’ve read the above, I assume you appreciate the type of person these book bundles are for.

  • They’re for avid readers who expect more from the books you read.
  • They’re for those who wish to speak to authors and get to know them
  • They’re for those who like to hold real books – ideally signed and personalised and special
  • They’re for people who like to share the books they enjoy with those they love
  • They’re for the type of person who likes to give their friends books and steal a place in their heart.

I don’t know about you, but I remember when someone gives me a book.

There are a lot of books on my bookshelf, and I personally bought many of them myself from various bookstores. I couldn’t tell you which one came from Amazon or Waterstones or from some various independent shop, but I do remember:

  • My friend Liz gave me The Great Gatsby
  • My beautiful Rosanna gave me The Catcher in The Rye
  • Izzy gave me Digital Fortress by Dan Brown

In fact, I could go through each book on my bookshelf and tell you which ones were given to me by someone else. I have vivid memories of the exchange, like the night Liz gave me The Great Gatsby to read.

As she got ready for a night out in Leeds, we chatted about books and stories and films. She told me about her favourite novel, and how I just had to read The Great Gatsby.

“Have this copy,” she said, handing me one from her collection.

I read it. I loved it. It’s one of my favourite novels of all time.

I’m sure I’m not alone. Do you remember a time when someone you cared about gave you a book (either they bought it you as a gift or leant you their own copy)? Can you picture the moment? Can you hear the conversation? Can you recall how you felt?

This Is Why You Cannot Order One Book From 2

If you can… THESE BUNDLES ARE DESIGNED FOR YOU!

I don’t gift enough books if I’m honest with you, but I wish to change this in 2016. I want to buy more books for myself, and every time I do, I wish to buy a second copy so I can give it someone I care about. Because when I do buy a book for someone, I feel fantastic.

I put effort into the gift, and even if it’s only for a few seconds, I reserve time and attention for that particular individual. For a few seconds I consider them… think about them… care about them… and wish to place a smile on their face.

I have no idea whether they’ll read or enjoy the book, but I like to think they’ll remember the gift and appreciate it.

Because there’s something about books that bring us together. We trust and find safety in stories. We craft friendships on the back of the stories we love. When you visit someone’s house and they have a giant bookshelf overflowing with paper loveliness, you sneak a peek into that person’s soul.

And if none of this resonates with you, chances are these bundles (and indeed, this entire experience) aren’t for you. Which is fine, because I didn’t set out to make this experience perfect for all. It’s for:

  • They’re for avid readers who expect more from the books you read.
  • They’re for those who wish to speak to authors and get to know them
  • They’re for those who like to hold real books – ideal those that are signed and personalised and special
  • They’re for people who like to share the books they enjoy with those they love
  • They’re for the type of person who likes to give their friends books and steal a place in their heart.

That’s not to say you can’t read I Unlove You or enjoy the story. This is the reason it’s FREE … FOREVER … because I wish to smash down the barrier that prevents people from experiencing the book.

But not everyone who experiences the book is right for this grander experience.

And I believe I Unlove You’s Paperback and these beautiful bundles are a fantastic way to determine whether you’re a good fit or not. Because if you don’t resonate with what you’ve just read, and you cannot recall moments when you gifted or were gifted books, I’m not sure you’ll get enough from what we’re doing here.

But if you do… if you can picture those moments when someone gave you a book and you felt on top of the world… if you’re smiling right now because you remember one of these marvellous snippets in time… I invite you to take ownership of this experience and do the same for someone else.

THE BEST FRIEND BUNDLE

2 SIGNED BOOKS

<script src="https://gumroad.com/js/gumroad.js"></script> <a class="gumroad-button" href="https://gum.co/unlove-besties" target="_blank">GRAB THIS BUNDLE</a>

THE FAMILY BUNDLE

3 SIGNED BOOKS

<script src="https://gumroad.com/js/gumroad.js"></script> <a class="gumroad-button" href="https://gum.co/clqNX" target="_blank">GRAB THIS BUNDLE</a>

THE BOOK CLUB BUNDLE

5 SIGNED BOOKS

<script src="https://gumroad.com/js/gumroad.js"></script> <a class="gumroad-button" href="https://gum.co/unlove-book-club" target="_blank">GRAB THIS BUNDLE</a>

IT’S TIME TO LITERALLY SHARE THE (UN)LOVE

If you’ve read a few of these blog posts that surround I Unlove You and the grander experience on offer, you may notice they’re quite long. I don’t apologise for this because they’re designed to give you a greater insight into why we’re doing this and who we’re doing it for.

And although on the surface I imagine I look greedy for not allowing you buy a single copy of I Unlove You, I hope you appreciate there’s more to it than this. I hope you see there’s method in the madness, and how it’s about giving you ownership and empowerment to be more involved in this.

If 100,000 people were to download I Unlove You for free, and 15,000 of these cool people went on to read it, I’d only expect 1,000 folk at most to go on and buy one of these bundles. Because let’s face it, most people do like to read a book, put it down, and leave it at that. This is fine, but this experience isn’t for them.

This experience is for those who desire more, and I truly believe the paperback and these bundles play a defining role. Because as I hope you appreciate by now, it isn’t about buying two or three or five books, rather the meaning behind this. YOU choose to delve deeper and hold an actual book. YOU choose to share a book you enjoy with someone you love.

YOU choose to place a smile on their face, and steal a place in their heart.

I hope you choose to grab a bundle, but only if you think it’s the right thing to do. Regardless of whether you do or you don’t, I hope you say hello to me and spark a conversation via FACEBOOK or TWITTER. And if you’ve yet to join the Merry Misfit Party, consider joining this Closed Facebook Group that’s full of amazing people.

TURNDOG

HAVE YOU GRABBED YOUR FREE COPY OF I UNLOVE YOU YET?

If you enjoy Coming-of-Age Novels that feature real moments you yourself can relate to, and love stories with a twist that leave you reaching for a tissue, you may like to introduce yourself to Aus & B.

.

>> GRAB YOUR FREE COPY NOW <<

.

.

And don't forget to share to this post with all those you know. It's time to help spread the (un)Love

 

 

<script src="https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/5932.js"></script>

it's time you embraced
[no hustle]

a movement… a way of life … the permission you’ve been waiting for.

the [no hustle] community awaits you, ready to share actionable insights, strategies, blueprints, and much more—become our latest member (for free) today and leave the stress, chaos, and overwhelm behind.